VORTEX CHAMBER LIDS FOR ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION

• US 20080102203A1
• Filed: 10/24/2007
• Published: 05/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Materials Incorporated
• Inventors: Kim, Steven, Aubuchon, Joseph, Yuan, Xiaoxiong, Wu, Dien-Yeh, Ma, Paul, Bajaj, Puneet, Chu, Schubert
• Application Number:
  US11/923,590
• Publication Number:
  US 20080102203A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 427/248.1
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/34 Nitrides C23C16/303 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4404 Coatings or surface treatment on the inside of the reaction chamber or on parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4411 Cooling of the reaction chamber walls C23C16/45572 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/4412 Details relating to the exhausts, e.g. pumps, filters, scrubbers, particle traps
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45502 Flow conditions in reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45504 Laminar flow
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45508 Radial flow
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45512 Premixing before introduction in the reaction chamber
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45525 Atomic layer deposition [ALD]
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45544 characterized by the apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45563 Gas nozzles
• CPC Class Codes: C23C 16/45582 Expansion of gas before it reaches the substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/28562 Selective deposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76843 formed in openings in a dielectric
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76846 Layer combinations
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/76871 Layers specifically deposited to enhance or enable the nucleation of further layers, i.e. seed layers

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to apparatuses and methods for depositing materials on substrates during atomic layer deposition processes. In one embodiment, a chamber for processing substrates is provided which includes a chamber lid assembly containing an expanding channel at a central portion of the chamber lid assembly, wherein an upper portion of the expanding channel extends substantially parallel along a central axis of the expanding channel, and an expanding portion of the expanding channel tapers away from the central axis. The chamber lid assembly further contains a conduit coupled to a gas inlet, another conduit coupled to another gas inlet, and both gas inlets are positioned to provide a circular gas flow through the expanding channel. In one example, the inner surface within the upper portion of the expanding channel has a lower mean surface roughness than the inner surface within the expanding portion of the expanding channel.

Claims

1. A chamber for processing substrates, comprising:

a substrate support comprising a substrate receiving surface; and

a chamber lid assembly comprising;

an expanding channel at a central portion of the chamber lid assembly, wherein an upper portion of the expanding channel extends substantially parallel along a central axis of the expanding channel and an expanding portion of the expanding channel tapers away from the central axis;

an inner surface within the upper portion of the expanding channel has a lower mean surface roughness than an inner surface within the expanding portion of the expanding channel;

a tapered bottom surface extending from the expanding portion of the expanding channel to a peripheral portion of the chamber lid assembly, wherein the tapered bottom surface is shaped and sized to substantially cover the substrate receiving surface;

a first conduit coupled to a first gas inlet within the upper portion of the expanding channel; and

a second conduit coupled to a second gas inlet within the upper portion of the expanding channel, wherein the first conduit and the second conduit are positioned to provide a circular gas flow pattern through the expanding channel.

2. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the inner surface within a region of the upper portion of the expanding channel has a mean surface roughness within a range from about 10 μ

in to about 50 μ

in.

3. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the inner surface within a region of the expanding portion of the expanding channel has a mean surface roughness within a range from about 35 μ

in to about 70 μ

in.

4. The chamber of claim 1, wherein a mean surface roughness of the inner surface of the expanding channel increases along the central axis through the expanding channel.

5. The chamber of claim 4, wherein the mean surface roughness increases from the second plurality of inlets extending into the expanding channel towards the substrate support.

6. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the first conduit and the second conduit are independently positioned to direct gas at an inner surface of the upper portion of the expanding channel.

7. The chamber of claim 6, wherein the circular gas flow pattern comprises a flow pattern selected from the group consisting of vortex, helix, spiral, twirl, twist, coil, whirlpool, and derivatives thereof.

8. The chamber of claim 7, wherein the circular gas flow pattern extends at least about 1.5 revolutions around the central axis of the expanding channel.

9. The chamber of claim 8, wherein the circular gas flow pattern extends at least about 4 revolutions around the central axis of the expanding channel.

10. The chamber of claim 1, wherein a first valve is coupled to the first conduit and a second valve is coupled to the second conduit.

11. The chamber of claim 8, wherein a first gas source is in fluid communication to the first valve and a second gas source is in fluid communication to the second valve.

12. The chamber of claim 11, wherein the first and second valves enable an atomic layer deposition process with a pulse time of about 2 seconds or less.

13. The chamber of claim 1, wherein the first conduit and the second conduit are independently positioned at an angle greater than 0°

from the central axis of the expanding channel.

14. The chamber of claim 1, further comprising a reaction zone having a volume of about 3,000 cm³ or less, wherein the reaction zone is defined between the tapered bottom surface and the substrate receiving surface.

15. The chamber of claim 14, wherein the volume is about 1,500 cm³ or less.

16. A chamber for processing substrates, comprising:

a substrate support having a substrate receiving surface; and

a chamber lid assembly comprising;

an expanding channel at a central portion of the chamber lid assembly, wherein an upper portion of the expanding channel extends substantially parallel along a central axis of the expanding channel and an expanding portion of the expanding channel tapers away from the central axis;

a first conduit coupled to a first gas inlet within the upper portion of the expanding channel;

a second conduit coupled to a second gas inlet within the upper portion of the expanding channel, wherein the first conduit and the second conduit are positioned to provide a circular gas flow pattern; and

a first valve coupled to the first conduit and a second valve coupled to the second conduit, where the first and second valves enable an atomic layer deposition process with a pulse time of about 2 seconds or less.

17. The chamber of claim 16, wherein the pulse time is about 2 seconds or less.

18. The chamber of claim 17, wherein the pulse time is within a range from about 0.05 seconds to about 0.5 seconds.

19. The chamber of claim 16, wherein the inner surface within a region of the upper portion of the expanding channel has a mean surface roughness within a range from about 10 μ

in to about 50 μ

in.

20. The chamber of claim 19, wherein the mean surface roughness is within a range from about 20 μ

in to about 45 μ

in.

21. The chamber of claim 16, wherein the inner surface within a region of the expanding portion of the expanding channel has a mean surface roughness within a range from about 35 μ

in to about 70 μ

in.

22. The chamber of claim 21, wherein the mean surface roughness is within a range from about 40 μ

in to about 65 μ

in.

23. The chamber of claim 16, wherein a mean surface roughness of the inner surface of the expanding channel increases along the central axis from the second plurality of inlets extending towards the substrate support.

24. The chamber of claim 23, wherein the inner surface of the upper portion of the expanding channel has a mean surface roughness within a range from about 20 pin to about 45 μ

in, and the inner surface of the expanding portion of the expanding channel has a mean surface roughness within a range from about 40 μ

in to about 65 pin.

25. A method for depositing a material on a substrate, comprising:

positioning a substrate on a substrate support within a process chamber comprising a chamber body and a chamber lid assembly, wherein the chamber lid assembly comprises;

an expanding channel at a central portion of the chamber lid assembly, wherein an upper portion of the expanding channel extends substantially parallel along a central axis of the expanding channel and an expanding portion of the expanding channel tapers away from the central axis;

a tapered bottom surface extending from the expanding portion of the expanding channel to a peripheral portion of the chamber lid assembly, wherein the tapered bottom surface is shaped and sized to substantially cover the substrate;

a first conduit coupled to a first gas inlet within the upper portion of the expanding channel; and

a second conduit coupled to a second gas inlet within the upper portion of the expanding channel, wherein the first conduit and the second conduit are positioned to provide a circular gas flow pattern;

flowing at least one carrier gas through the first and second conduits to form a circular flowing gas;

exposing the substrate to the circular flowing gas;

pulsing at least one precursor into the circular flowing gas; and

depositing a material comprising at least one element derived from the at least one precursor onto the substrate.